A spring type arm exercising device

ABSTRACT

An exercising device including a spring having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition, and a handgrip attached to each end of the spring operable to uncoil the spring upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips. The unstressed, coiled spring circumscribes an arc of substantially 540* between the handgrips and comprises a sinuous spring having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions.

United States Patent lnventor Russell C. Greenless 316 E. Shadbolt St., Lake Orion, Mich. 48035 Appl. No. 790,720

Filed Jan. 13, 1969 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 577,377, Sept. 6, 1966, now abandoned.

A SPRING TYPE ARM EXERCISING DEVICE 14 Claims, 15 Drawing Figs.

272/67 Int. Cl A63b 21/00 Field of Search 272/83, 82, 79, 67, 68; 46/47 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1955 Urban 2,806,699 9/1957 Spooner 272/83 2,877,597 3/1959 Brant 46/47 3,343,837 9/ l 967 Grzybowski. 272/83 3,445,109 5/1969 Kolbel 272/83 3,451,675 6/1969 Burzenski. 272/83 3,194,558 7/1965 Fowler 46/47X Primary Examiner- Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerWilliam R, Browne Atlorney-Barnard, Mc Glynn and Reising ABSTRACT: An exercising device including a spring having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition, and a handgrip attached to each end of the spring operable to uncoil the spring upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips. The unstressed, coiled spring circumscribes an arc of substantially 540 between the handgrips and comprises a sinuous spring having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions.

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sum 3 OF 3 IN VEN TOR. @usseil C. Gwen/ea TORN A SPRING TYPE ARM EXERCISING DEVICE This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 57 .377 filed Sept. 6. 1966. now abandoned. the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference This invention relates generally to exercising devices and is particularly concemed with a portable exercising device for developing the muscles of the wrists. arms and upper body.

Presently available exercising devices manipulated by the hands of the user generally consist of one or more spring members having handgrips attached thereto so that exercise is obtained by bending the spring when the handgrips are moved toward and away from each other In one such prior art device. a plurality of leaf springs have handles mounted on their ends and the device is used by the operator manipulating the exerciser to bring the handles together against the resistance of the leaf springs.

In another prior art exercising device. handles are carried by the outer ends of two bar sections and a coil spring connects the bar sections together and biases the sections against angular movement relative to each other. Exercise is obtained by attempting to bend the handgrips toward each other against the resistance of the spring.

Still another prior art exercising device consists of a pair of telescoping tubes biased against movement relative to each other by an internal spring so that the operator utilizes the device by attempting to extend the telescoped tubes against the resistance of the internal spring.

None of the prior art exercising devices provides a portable device having handles or hand grips which can be both twisted relative to each other and moved linearly toward and away from each other against the resistance of a spring force between the handgrips. Twisting exercises are especially useful in developing the muscles of the hands, wrists and forearms and it has heretofore been common to obtain this type of exercise by devices such as those including a rotatable shaft with a flexible cord or cable carrying a weight so that the cord is wound around the shaft by gripping the shaft and winding the cord around the shaft against the action of the weight. A separate exercising device has been employed to apply linear forces to the hands of the user.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a hand manipulated exercising device that is capable of applying both twisting and linear forces to the hands of the user.

A further object is to provide an exercising device including spring means having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition with handgrips attached to each end of the spring means such that the spring can be uncoiled by applying twisting forces to the handgrips against the action of the spring.

A further object is to provide an exercising device having a sinuous spring with handgrips nonrotatably attached to each end for resiliently applying both bending and twisting forces to the sinuous spring.

Still another object is to provide an exercising device having a spring coiled in its unstressed condition to circumscribe an arc of substantially 540 between a pair of handgrips so that the spring can be uncoiled by relative twisting movement of the handgrips to assume a bowed configuration that can be open and closed by moving the handgrips toward and away from each other.

The foregoing, and other objects, are achieved by the provision of an exercising device having spring means with a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition and a handgrip attached to each end of the spring means operable to uncoil the spring means upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips. Preferably, the coiled spring means extends for approximately 1% revolutions to circumscribe an arc of substantially 540 between the handgrips so that the handgrips extend axially from the ends of the spring means in substantially parallel relationship with each other when the spring means is unstressed. Preferably, the spring means comprises at least one sinuous spring having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions joined by leg portions. A sleeve of flexible material such as rubber or plastic encases the spring between the hand grips.

Each hand grip includes a housing portion nonrotatably receiving one end of the spring. One or more fasteners extends through the housing transversely to and between the legs joining one of the loops of the spring to prevent the handgrip from being separated from the housing.

Other objects. advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exercising device according to the invention in its natural or unstressed condition;

FIG. 2 is a side or edge view of the exercising device of FIG. I also in the unstressed condition;

FIG. 3 is a front or elevational view of the exercising device shown in one uncoiled position;

FIG. 4 is a side or edge view of the exercising device in the condition shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front orelevational view illustrating a second uncoiled position of the exercising device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side or edge view of the exercising device in the condition shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an exercising device according to the invention shown in an uncoiled, neutral condition;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the device in the condition shown in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views illustrating the construction of one embodiment of a suitable handgrip and taken respectively along lines 9-9 and 10-10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the handgrip shown in FIGS. 9 and I0;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing a suitable altemate construction for the handgrips of an exercising device embodying the invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another suitable alternate construction for the handgrips;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken on line l4-I4 of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective detailed view illustrating an exercising device embodying the invention and utilizing a plurality of sinuous springs.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 designates a spring having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition, and a handgrip 4 attached to each end of the spring. FIG. 1 illustrates the device in its unstressed condition wherein spring 2 has a coiled configuration in which the spring extends from the left-hand handgrip 4 through 1% revolutions to the righthand handgrip. The spring 2 thus circumscribes an arc of substantially 540 between the handgrips 4 in its unstressed, coiled condition. Each of the handgrips 4 is nonrotatably connected with the spring 2, and spring 2 comprises a serpentine, or sinuous spring having a series of alternating, oppositely facing loop portions 6 joined by straight, substantially parallel leg portions 8 extending from each end of each loop portion.

As pointed out above, each of the handgrips is nonrotatably connected with an end of the spring, and the handgrips 4 are operable upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips to uncoil the spring to the positions of FIGS. 3 and 4, FIGS. 5 and 6, or to the neutral position shown in FIG. 7 in which the spring assumes a bowed configuration and can be resiliently opened and closed by moving the handgrips 4 away from and toward each other, respectively.

When the exercising device is in the unstressed, coiled configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2, it may be uncoiled by applying relative twisting motion to the hand grips; that is, by twisting the handgrips in opposite directions about their longitudinal axes. With the handgrips 4 disposed forwardly and substantially horizontally in front of the operator, and with the device uncoiled, upward twisting movement of the two handgrips causes the spring 2 to bend upwardly as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. By upward twisting movement of the handgrips is meant that the operator twists the handgrip in his right hand in a clockwise direction and the handgrip in his left hand in a counterclockwise direction. By twisting the handgrips downwardly, that is, by twisting the handgrip in his right hand in a counterclockwise direction and the handgrip in his left hand in a clockwise direction. the spring bends in a downwardly extending are as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 By holding the handgrips 4 firmly against relative twisting movement. the spring can be held in the neutral position in which the spring assumes the bowed configuration shown in FIG 7 The operator can then exerclse by moving the handgrips 4 toward and away from each other against the resilient bending forces of the spring 2. and at the same time must resist twisting forces on the handgrips caused by the natural tendency of the spring 2 to return to its coiled configuration shown in FIGS I and 2.

Several types of handgrips may be employed in the invention and different configurations of handgrips may be employed in order to accommodate persons having different degrees of strength. For example. less gripping strength will ordinarily be required on the part of the operator to resist the twisting forces applied to the handgrips if the handgrips have a noncircular cross section than would be the case with hand grips of circular cross section. That is to say, it is generally more difficult to prevent a circular member from rotating or twisting than it is to prevent a noncircular member from rotating or twisting.

The handgrips 4 shown in FIGS. 7 through 11 each include a housing nonrotatably receiving one end of the spring 2 and means for securing the end of the spring against displacement from the respective housing 10 of the handgrip 4. The means for securing the end of the spring against displacement from the housing 10 comprises one or more fasteners 16 (two such fasteners 16 being illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 11) extending through the housing 10 and transversely through a loop portion 6 of the spring between the pair of legs 8 extending from each end of the loop 6. The housings-10 of each handgrip 4 in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 11 is rectangular in cross section and is made up of complementary U or channel-shaped sections having base portions 12 and leg portions 14 extending from each end of the base portions in substantially parallel relationship with each other. Each fastener 16 is mounted in a countersunk or dimpled hole in the base portion 12 of one of the sections and is threadedly engaged with an internally threaded stud mounted in a similar hole in the opposing base portion 12.

Each hand grip 4 of FIGS. 7 through 11 includes a handgrip section 20 extending axially from the rectangular housing 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the handgrip section 20 is made up of a pair of complementary U-shaped or channel-shaped members each having a base portion 22 and leg portions 24 extending from the ends of the base portion. The leg portions 24 have their free ends in engagement with each other and the members are secured together by fasteners 26 extending through a countersunk opening in one of the base portions 22 and threadedly engaging a stud 28extending through a similar opening in the opposing base portion 22 to thereby define a handgrip of rectangular cross section.

FIG. 12 shows an alternate construction for the handgrip section and illustrates a handgrip section 20 made up of a pair of complementary sections-30 of semicircular cross section with the edges of the semicircular members held into engagement with each other by fasteners 32 extending from one of the sections 30 into threaded engagement with a stud 34 mounted in the complementary section 30. Fasteners 32 thus cooperate with stud 34 to secure the complementary sections 30 together todefine a handgrip having a circular cross section.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show another alternative construction for the handgrips. As shown in FIG. 13, the handgrip 4' includes a rectangular housing 38 constructed similar to the housing section 10 of FIG. 9, and a handgrip section 40 made up of a pair of complementary semicircular sections 42 having inwardly extending flanges 44 along their free ends. The flanges 44 may be welded together, or the sections may be secured together by fasteners 46 threadedly engaging studs 48 with the fasteners and studs extending through openings in the opposed sections 42 to secure the sections 42 together substantially along the diameter of the resulting circular section. The handgrip section 40 may be welded, bolted or otherwise secured in a conventional manner to the rectangular housing 38.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative arrangement wherein-a plurality (in this case three) of .springs 2 extend between handgrip sections 4'. The springs 2 are encased in a sleeve 50 of rubber or other flexible material and extends from one housing section 38 to the other to enclose the springs 2 over their entire length. The three springs 2 have their ends received in the rectangular housings 38 of the hand grips 4 and are secured against axial displacement by one or more fasteners 16 in the manner previously described.

By turning or rotating the handgrips 4 relative to each other in one direction, the spring 2 will seek to assume the coil shape of FIGS. 1 and 2 but is prevented from doing so by the grip of the operator and will form the arcuate shapes of FIGS. 3 and 5 depending upon the direction of twisting movement applied to the handgrips. By twisting the handgrips until the spring assumes the neutral position of FIG. 7, the operator can then move the handgrips toward and away from each other against the resistance of the spring.

The construction illustrated is thus susceptible to a 'wide range of exercising devices requiring different degrees of strength for their manipulation. For example, a single spring can be mounted in thehandgrip sections to be used by those of small stature or having less strength. Additional springs provide greater resistance to manipulation of the handles, and two, three, or more springs may be provided for the very strong. 2

Thus an exercising device according to the invention includes a sinuous spring 2 having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions 6; and a handgrip 4 01 4' attached to each end of spring 2 for applying twisting and bending forces to the spring. Thev handgrips are nonrotatably connected with the spring 2 and extend axially from the ends of the spring. Spring 2 is curved such that the handgrips 4 or-4' are in substantially parallel relationship with each other when the spring is in its unstressed condition. Preferably, the spring has a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition and circumscribes an arc of at least 540".

While a specific form of .the invention has been illustrated and described in the foregoing specification andaccompanying drawings, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown, but that various alternatives in the construction and arrangement of parts, all falling within the scope and spirit of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An exercising device comprising: elongated spring means coiled upon itself over its entire length to form a loop in its unstressed condition; an elongated handgrip nonrotatablyattached to each end of said spring means; said handgrips projecting from the ends of the spring means in generally parallel relationship with each other when the spring means is in its unstressed, coiled configuration; and said spring means being flexible and unwindable from its looped, coiled, unstressed condition in response to-twisting movement of said handgrips in opposite directions about their respective longitudinal axes relative to each other.

2. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means circumscribes an arc of substantially 540 between saidhand grips in its looped unstressed, coiled condition.

3. An exercising device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said handgrips are operable upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips to uncoil said spring means to a neutral positionin which the spring means assumes a bowed configuration which can be resiliently opened and closed by;movement of the handgrips away' from and toward each other, respectively.

4. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a sinuous spring having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions.

5. An exercising device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spring circumscribes an arc of at least 540 in its coiled, un stressed configuration 6. An exercising device as claimed in claim 5 further including a sleeve of flexible material encasing said spring between said handgripst 7. An exercising device comprising: spring means having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition; a handgrip attached to each end of said spring means; said spring means cir cumscribing an arc of substantially 540 between said handgrips in its unstressed. coiled condition; each of said grips being nonrotatably connected with said spring means, said handgrips being operable upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips to uncoil said spring means to a bowed neutral position in which the spring means assumes a bowed configuration which can be resiliently opened and closed by movement of the handgrips away from and toward each other, respectively. and said spring means comprising at least one sinuous spring having a series of alternating, oppositely facing loop portionsjoined by leg portions.

8. An exercising device as claimed in claim 7 further including a sleeve of flexible material encasing said spring between said handgrips.

9. An exercising device as claimed in claim 7 wherein each handgrip includes a housing nonrotatably receiving one end of said spring, and means for securing said one end of the spring against displacement from said housing.

10. An exercising device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said means for securing said one end of said spring against displacement from said housing comprises at least one fastener extending through said housing and transversely througha loop of the spring.

llv An exercising device as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said housings is rectangular in cross section and each handgrip extends axially from said rectangular housing and comprises a pair of complementary U-shaped members each having a base portion and a pair of legs extending therefrom, the free ends of the legs being engaged to define a handgrip of rectangular cross section.

12. An exercising device as claimed in claim 11 further including at least one fastener connecting the base portions of said U-shaped members to maintain the leg portions in engagement.

13. An exercising device as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said housings is rectangular in cross section and each handgrip extends axially from said rectangular housing and comprises a pair of complementary sections of semicircular cross section joined together to define a handgrip of circular cross sectionv 14. An exercising device as claimed in claim 13 further including an inwardly turned flange on each of the edges of said complementary sections, and at least one fastener extending diametrically through said sections to secure the sections together. 

1. An exercising device comprising: elongated spring means coiled upon itself over its entire length to form a loop in its unstressed condition; an elongated handgrip nonrotatably attached to each end of said spring means; said handgrips projecting from the ends of the spring means in generally parallel relationship with each other when the spring means is in its unstressed, coiled configuration; and said spring means being flexible and unwindable from its looped, coiled, unstressed condition in response to twisting movement of said handgrips in opposite directions about their respective longitudinal axes relative to each other.
 2. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means circumscribes an arc of substantially 540* between said hand grips in its looped unstressed, coiled condition.
 3. An exercising device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said handgrips are operable upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips to uncoil said spring means to a neutral position in which the spring means assumes a bowed configuration which can be resiliently opened and closed by movement of the handgrips away from and toward each other, respectively.
 4. An exercising device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a sinuous spring having alternating, oppositely facing loop portions.
 5. An exercising device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spring circumscribes an arc of at least 540* in its coiled, unstressed configuration.
 6. An exercising device as claimed in claim 5 further including a sleeve of flexible material encasing said spring between said handgrips.
 7. An exercising device comprising: spring means having a coiled configuration in its unstressed condition; a handgrip attached to each end of said spring means; said spring means circumscribing an arc of substantially 540* between said handgrips in its unstressed, coiled condition; each of said grips being nonrotatably connected with said spring means, said handgrips being operable upon relative twisting movement between the handgrips to uncoil said spring means to a bowed neutral position in which the spring means assumes a bowed configuration which can be resiliently opened and closed by movement of the handgrips away from and toward each other, respectively, and said spring means comprising at least one sinuous spring having a series of alternating, oppositely facing loop portions joined by leg portions.
 8. An exercising device as claimed in claim 7 further including a sleeve of flexible material encasing said spring between said handgrips.
 9. An exercising device as claimed in claim 7 wherein each handgrip includes a housing nonrotatably receiving one end of said spring, and means for securing said one end of the spring against displacement from said housing.
 10. An exercising device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said means for securing said one end of said spring against displacement from said housing comprises at least one fastener extending through said housing and transversely through a loop of the spring.
 11. An exercising device as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said housings is rectangular in cross section and each handgrip extends axially from said rectangular housing and comprises a pair of complementary U-shaped members each having a base portion and a pair of legs extending therefrom, the free ends of the legs being engaged to define a handgrip of rectangular cross section.
 12. An exercising device as claimed in claim 11 further including at least one fastener connecting the base portiOns of said U-shaped members to maintain the leg portions in engagement.
 13. An exercising device as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said housings is rectangular in cross section and each handgrip extends axially from said rectangular housing and comprises a pair of complementary sections of semicircular cross section joined together to define a handgrip of circular cross section.
 14. An exercising device as claimed in claim 13 further including an inwardly turned flange on each of the edges of said complementary sections, and at least one fastener extending diametrically through said sections to secure the sections together. 